Ginger-Soy Chicken Packets

A family favorite for years! This is a one-bowl dinner that everybody likes. You can even do the prep ahead of time; then just assemble the packets & bake. And clean-up is a breeze. The chicken is incredibly moist & tender. I’m not usually a huge fan of zucchini, but I really love it in these packets. It sops up all the flavor of the sauce, & is really delicious (that’s why it goes on the bottom in assembly). It can be fun to serve the still-closed packet, letting each person open their own. But do be careful, as there will be a lot of steam waiting to escape & it is easy to get burned. Parents of little kids will want to do this part for them.

It’s also a very flexible recipe. Someone doesn’t like onions? Just leave them out of one packet. Someone is a light eater? Don’t put as much in their packet. If there’s just one packet that’s different, I’ll make that the only one whose foil is shiny-side out. Or, you can draw an initial on the foil with your fingernail. More people? Just toss in a few more chicken tenders, & you can have a third serving without changing anything else – a great lunch! And of course, the recipe doubles easily as well. The biggest challenge with making this for more people is finding enough counter space for assembly. I have a standard free-standing range, & have easily fit 6 packets in there. And you can also put the packets on the grill if you don’t want to heat up your kitchen. You certainly can use regular aluminum foil if you don’t have the heavy duty kind. I’ve had a few packets tear open, though, so I like to keep a roll of the heavy duty on hand just to make this dish.

Ginger-Soy Chicken Packets are also really healthy, although you don’t have to tell your family that. The one exception is sodium. I have yet to find a soy sauce replacement with acceptable taste, so I stick with the low-sodium soy. And even that always hikes up the sodium in the dish. Feel free to cut back the amount of soy sauce; just make up the volume with chicken broth if you don’t have enough liquid to coat all the veggies. Or, go in a slightly different direction & make Ginger-Lime Chicken Packets instead. You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

⅓ cup (78 ml) low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 – 4″ fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic

4 stems broccolini

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 small onion

1 small zucchini

6 chicken tenders

2 pieces Heavy Duty aluminum foil, each ~18” (45 cm) long

Preparation:

1.) Preheat oven to 450º F (232º C), or gas grill on high. Peel & mince the ginger & garlic. It’s a lot of ginger to grate (you’ll end up with about ¼ cup), which is just one more reason I love my Mini-Mate. Place in a medium bowl. Add the soy sauce & olive oil.

3.) Fold each piece of foil in half, then open away from you. Place the zucchini in the sauce bowl, toss to coat, and arrange in the center of the closest half of the foil pieces.

4.) Next comes the chicken. Repeat the same procedure, and arrange it on top of the zucchini. Repeat with broccolini, peppers, and onions. Distribute any extra sauce between the packets.

5.) Fold the loose half of the foil over the top, lining up the edges as best you can. Starting with the side closest to you, fold up ¼” (6 mm), press flat, and fold up & press again for a double-fold. Repeat with both sides, making sure all the folds are tightly closed. Leave the foil a bit loose. It helps to lift the seams up off the counter a little bit, so there’s less opportunity for the juices to try to leak out.

6.) Bake 20 minutes at 450º F (232º C), or 15 min. in a covered grill on high. The packets will puff up with steam.

7.) Slit with a knife to open, being very careful of that steam. Serve over rice (use brown rice for an extra fiber boost).

3.) Fold each piece of foil in half, then open away from you. Place the zucchini in the sauce bowl, toss to coat, and arrange in the center of the closest half of the foil pieces.

4.) Next comes the chicken. Repeat the same procedure, and arrange it on top of the zucchini. Repeat with broccolini, peppers, and onions. Distribute any extra sauce between the packets.

5.) Fold the loose half of the foil over the top, lining up the edges as best you can. Starting with the side closest to you, fold up ¼” (6 mm), press flat, and fold up & press again for a double-fold. Repeat with both sides, making sure all the folds are tightly closed. Leave the foil a bit loose. It helps to lift the seams up off the counter a little bit, so there’s less opportunity for the juices to try to leak out.

6.) Bake 20 minutes at 450º F (232º C), or 15 min. in a covered grill on high. The packets will puff up with steam.

7.) Slit with a knife to open, being very careful of that steam. Serve over rice (use brown rice for an extra fiber boost).